Method of and means for registering bite rims or blocks



Feb. 9, 1943. A. FISCH.ER 2,310,360

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR REGISTERING BITE RIMS OR BLOCKS Filed Jan. 15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l ihmento: AMA/m4 f/w/m Z4 /7 j IY g III. i 5 35 r J l @C/QMA fi 5/4 t Gttorneg Feb. 9, 1943. A, FISCHER 0,3 0

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR REGISTERING BITE RIMS OR BLOCKS v Fild Jan. 15 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 26 AM I AQ M L i 1 m 3nvcntor Am A/VAM f/m/m Patented Feb. 9, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFHCE METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR REGISTERING BITE RIMS OR BLOCKS 12 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of dentistr and more particularly to a method of and means for registering bite rims or blocks preparatory to the making of upper and lower dental plates.

The invention is concerned primarily with an improved method of and means for obtaining correct central occlusion of the bite rims or blocks for making upper and lower plates for a toothless patient.

Heretofore in the art of dentistry in accordance with the usual technique the manipulations intended to provide a correct central bite position of the upper and lower bite rims were performed with the patients jaws in closed position. More particularly, in accordance with the prior art practice, the bite rims were first inserted in the patients mouth and then while the jaws of the latter were closed in what was considered by the dentist as the normal central bite relation the bite rims were secured together in the patients mouth in said bite relationship. This method has been found unreliable in actual practice because the patient cannot always be relied upon to properly close the jaws in normal position for obtaining correct central occlusion, particularly since when the jaws are closed a lateral movement or displacement of the lower jaw with respect to the upper jaw can readily occur without the patient being conscious thereof, and such displacement of the lower jaw impairs or destroys the proper central bite relation. Moreover, with the jaws in closed position, protrusion of the lower jaw is apt to occur and thereby further impair the proper bite relationship.

One object of the present invention is to provide a method of registering the upper and lower bite rims or blocks in such manner as to eliminate or greatly reduce the likelihood of lateral displacement of the lower jaw or other movement such as a protrusive movement, which impairs the correct relationship between the upper and lower bite rims. This is accomplished in accordance with the present invention by aligning the upper and lower bite rims while the patients jaws are in open position, and in this respect I believe that my method is a wide departure from the methods heretofore employed in the dental art. This method is based upon the principle that when the jaws are in open position, there is less likelihood of lateral displacement of the lower jaw in respect to the upper jaw and there is also less likelihood of protrusive movement of the lower jaw, at least Without conscious effort by the patient, for it is more difficult for the patient to move the lower jaw in the open posi-' tion thereof than in its closed position.

Another object of the invention is the pro-Z vision of means for facilitating the alignment of the upper and lower bite rims while the jaws of the patient are in open position.

The above objects of the invention and other objects ancillary thereto will best be understood from the following description considered with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 illustrates one step in the present and is a central vertical section through the upper and lower .jaws and through the bite rims, the jaws being open and the device for facilitating alignment of the bite rims in position preparatory.

to operation thereof for aligning the upper and lower bite rims;

Fig. 2 illustrates another step in the method.

and is similar to Fig. l but shows the position of the part of the device after the operation thereof for aligning the bite rims;

Fig. 3 illustrates another step in the method and shows the jaws in closed position and the bite rims together with the associated parts of the device in the proper central bite relation of the jaws, the operating device being removed;

Fig. 4 illustrates, in a side View, the parts shown in Fig. 3, the relationship of the parts being the same as in Fig. 3;

Figs. 5 and 6 are plan views, respectively, of

the lower and upper bite rim-engaging parts of the aligning means;

Fig. 5a is a view on the line 5a.-5a of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a side view, on an enlarged scale, of

the manipulating device used in accordance with the present method, the bite rim-engaging plates shown in Figs. 5 and 6 being in position;

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is a plan view, on a smaller scale, of the upper part of the device illustrated in Fig. 7, detached from the other parts of said device;

Fig. 10 is an end view of the part illustrated in Fig. 9.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, Fig. l is an illustration, more or less diagrammatic, of an upper jaw l0 and a lower jaw I2, the gums of said jaws being indicated at M and 16. The

ably in wide open or approximately wide open position. Said bite blocks are supported in position in the usual way and, of course, conformto the palate and to the gums, respectively. The

confronting surfaces of said bite rims are covmethod ered with a layer of wax or other suitable penetrable plastic material.

The central bite relationship of the bite rims l8 and 28 is obtained while the jaws are in open position. For this purpose there is preferably utilized a device 22 in conjunction with a lower plate 24 and an upper plate 26. Said plates are formed preferably of thin sheet metal and have the configurations illustrated in Figs. and 6. As here shown said plates are U-shaped or approximately U-shaped and have central extension plate portions 28 and 38, respectively. Plate 24 is provided with laterally spaced prongs 32 and with a central prong 34, and similarly plate 26 is provided with laterally spaced prongs 36 and with a central prong 38. Plate 24 is provided with laterally spaced openings 40 and with a central opening 42, and plate 26 has similar openings 44 and 46, respectively. Plate extensions 28 and 38 are preferably of the same width, and the side edges 48 of plate 24 are designed to align with the side edges 50 of plate 26 upon the proper central alignment of the bite rims l8 and 28.

In practicing the present method of obtaining the proper central alignment of the upper and lower bite rims, plate 24 is positioned on lower bite rim 20 centrally thereof, being secured in said position by prongs 32 and 34 which penetrate the soft material of said bite rim. Bite rim 2!] and the attached plate 24 being positioned in the mouth and bite rim l8 being in position, device 22 carrying upper plate 26 is positioned in the mouth with the lower .plate 52 of device 22 in engagement with lower plate 24. As clearly shown, particularly in Figs. 7 to 9, the lower plate 52 of device 22 is provided with laterally spaced prongs 54 and with a central prong 56 which pass through openings 40 and 42, respectively, of lower plate 24 and register lower plate 52 of device 22 with said lower plate 24. Thus, the lower plate 52 of device 22 is registered and centrally aligned with lower bite rim 2!]. The upper plate 58 of device 22 is similarly provided with lateral prongs 60 and with a central prong 62 which pass through openings 44 and 46, respectively, in upper plate 26 and register said upper plate 26 with upper plate 58 of device 22. Thus, as plates 52 and 58 of device 22 are in registry by virtue of the design of said device, plate 26 when mounted on upper plate 58 as illustrated in Fig. 1 is in registry and central alignment with lower plate 24,

Having registered lower plate 24 in proper position with respect to lower bite rim 20, upper plate 26 is then engaged with upper bite rim I8 while said registering plates 24 and 26 are held in proper position by lower and upper plates 52 and 58, respectively, of device 22, and this is done, as illustrated in Fig. 2, while the jaws are in open position. For this purpose device 22 is provided with a linkage, hereinafter described, operated by a rotary rod 64 by means of a knob 66 to move plate 58 from the retracted position shown in Fig. 1 to the relatively extended position shown in Fig. 2. In thus moving from retracted to relatively extended or projected position, plate 58 is raised at the inner ends thereof to bring the prongs 36 at the inner ends of upper plate 26 in engagement with upper bite rim Is at the opposite sides of the mouth. Resilient means such as an elastic rubber band 68 is placed about the outer ends of extensions 28 and 30 which, when plates 24 and 26 are engaged by plates 52 and 58, respectively, are in engagement with the outer extending portions 10 and 12, respectively, of plates 52 and 58. Resilient means 68 thus restrains the separation of plate extensions 18 and 12 until the prongs 36 of plate 26 engage the bite rim l8. Thereafter, continued operation of rod 64 raises the outer end of upper plate 58 and the outer end of upper plate 26 to bring central prong 38 of said last mentioned plate into engagement with upper bite rim I 8. As prongs 36 and 38 penetrate the soft material of bite rim I8 outer plate 26 is secured to bite rim 18 in central registered relation to plate 24 which is secured to lower bite rim 20. Device 22 is then removed from the mouth leaving plates 24 and 26 in position, said plates being secured to said bite rims respectively by the prongs of said plates. Then the patients jaws are permitted to close in normal position. When the jaws are closed, the .plate extensions 28 and 38 and the bite rims engaged thereby are collated, for the side edges 50 of upper plate 26 are in alignment with the side edges 48 of lower plate 24, as illustrated in Fig. 3, indicating the proper central alignment of the upper and lower bite rims. As clearly shown in the drawings, plates 24 and 26 are provided with centrally disposed projections 45 and correspondingly arranged slots or recesses 45a. When device 22 is removed from the patients mouth and the jaws are permitted to close, projections 45 enter into slots 45a and have a lateral fit therewith thus assuring that the upper and lower bite rims are in central relation, since lateral deflection of the lower jaw would result in lateral displacement of projections 45 of plate 24 in relation to the recesses 45a. of plate 26 and thereby prevent complete closing of the jaws. It will be understood also that the projections 45 and the companion slots 45a provide means for collating the bite rims when the latter are out of the patients mouth thereby making it unnecessary to seal the bite rims to each other which was necessary in accordance with the methods heretofore practiced. However, in order to prevent the relative movement of plates 24 and 26 in a direction along the line of central occlusion from front to rear and vice versa, said plates should be fixed to each other and for this purpose any suitable means may be provided, for example, the projections 28 and 30 of said plate may be clamped together or sealed together by wax or the like.

By reference to Fig. 4 it will be observed that plate extension 28 projects forwardly beyond plate extensions 38. This provides means for indicating whether or not there has been protrusion of the lower jaw by the patient during the procedure of obtaining the central bite relationship. This can be tested by requiring the patient to protrude the lower jaw while the bite rims I 8 and 20 and the attached plates 24 and 26, respectively, are in position immediately following the removal of device 22. In this connection it will be understood that if plate extension 28 is not projected substantially beyond the mark previously indicated by the relative position of said extensions 28 and 30 when the jaws of the patient are closed immediately following the removal of device 22, it is apparent protrusion of the lower jaw of the patient has occurred during the procedure of obtaining the central bite relationship, and in that. case, it is preferable to repeat the procedure, as the best central bite relation is obtained when the lower jaw is not protruded by the patient.

Referring now more particularly to the operating device 22, it will be observed that the linkage hereinbefore referred to, comprises a set of links 14 and links 16 at the inner end of plates 52 and 58 and a set of links 18 and 8d at the outer end of said plates. Links 14 are pivotally connected at the outer ends thereof by pins 82 to plate 52, pins 82 being secured in spaced companion ears 84, 855 integral with plate 52. Links 78 are similarly pivotally secured at their outer ends to plate 58 by pins 82a fixed in companion ears 84a, 86a. The inner ends of companion links Hi and 15 are pivotally connected to the reduced ends 88 of transverse member 99. The inner ends of companion links M, 16 are held in position by nuts 94. The outer ends of links '58 are pivotally connected to the outer ends of plate :32 by pins 8227 which are fixed in companion projec-. tions 88b, 86b, and the outer end of links 80 are' similarly pivotally connected to the outer end of plate 58 by pins 320 fixed in companion projections 84c, Elie. Projections B le are formed as parts of a central member 86d, as shown in Fig. 10, said member having a recess 86c in which rod 64 may project when plates 52 and 58 are in relatively retracted position. Projections 84b are formed in a similar member on lower plate 52.

The inner ends of companion links I8 and 80 are pivotally connected to the reduced end 88a of a transverse member s2, and the inner ends of companion links 78 and 8B are held in position by nuts 94a.

Rod 64 is threaded as shown and passes through a threaded bore 92a in member 92 so that rotation of rod 54 results in longitudinal movement thereof in relation to member 92. Rod 64 is reduced at its outer end portion 54a providing a shoulder 6412 which engages the central part S's-a of member 99. Said reduced portion 64a is circular in section and is unthreaded and passes through a cylindrical bore 981) in which it is journalled for rotation, whereby rotation of rod 64 in one direction is effective to move rod 96 toward the inner or left ends of plates 52 and 58 (viewing Fig. 7). A collar 95 is secured to the outer end of reduced rod portion 64a and prevents movement of said portion from the bore 9% when rod 6 is rotated in the opposite direction. Collar 95 which rotates with portion 64a of rod 6Q causes member 93 to move toward the other ends of plates 52-and 58 when rod 64 is rotated in the opposite direction.

In operating device 22 to move plate 58 from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig. 2, the rotation of rod 64 in a direction such that shoulder Mb exerts a force on member 9011 of member 9t causes the latter to move toward the inner ends of plates 52 and [-8 thus acting on links M and Hi to separate said outer ends of said plates. While this is done, the inner ends of plates 52 and 53 are held resiliently together by the elastic means 68 referred to above. When, however, the inner ends of plates 52 and 58 have been suiiiciently spread apart to engage the outer end of plate 58 with upper bite rim i8 further rotary movement of rod 6 in the same direction results in movement of member 92 toward the inner ends of plates 52 and 55 thus moving the outer end of plate 58 away from the outer end of plate 52, which is the position iilustrated in Fig. 2, to engage the outer end of plate 26 with bite rim l8. As indicated in Fig. '7. plate 52 is provided with recesses 45b to receive the projections 45 on plate 2 3, which projections enter slots 45a on plate 26, after removal of device 22.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention and the manner of practicing the method, it will be understood that certain changes may be made. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the specific construction herein shown or described except to the extent which may be required by the scope of the appended claims. Also, unless otherwise stated in the claims, the steps in the method may be performed .in a sequence which differs from the order of recitation of said steps in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Means for aligning upper and lower bite rims comprising a first member adapted to be secured to the lower bite rim, a second member adapted to be secured to the upper bite rim, said first and second members comprising flat metal plates provided with prongs for releasably securing said plates to said lower and upper bite rims respectively, means for registering said second member with said first member with the latter secured to the lower bite rim in central position with respect thereto whereby said second member is in central alignment with said lower bite rim, said registering means comprising opposed confronting relatively movable upper and lower members engageable with and between said first and second members, said second member beingremovabiy seated on the upper surface of said upper member of said registering means, said upper and lower members being positioned in the space between the opposed surfaces of said two first mentioned members, respectively, and means associated with said relatively movable members for moving the upper member relatively to the lower member to secure said second member to said upper bite rim while the bite rims are in the patients mouth and said second member is in registry with said first member in said position thereof.

2. Means for alignin upper and lower bite rims comprising a first member adapted to be secured to the lower bite rim, a second member adapted to be secured to the upper bite rim, means for registering said second member with said first member With the latter secured to the lower bite rim in central position with respect thereto whereby said second member is in central alignment with said lower bite rim, said registering means comprising relatively movable lower and upper members engageable releasably with said first and second members, respectivly, said second member being removably seated on the upper surface of said upper member of the registering means, said upper member and said secand member seated thereon being movable upwardly in the patients mouth to engage said second member with said upper bite rim, said upper and lower member being positioned. between the opposed surfaces of said two first mentioned members, and means carried by said second member for securing said second member to said upper bite rim in said registered position of said first and second members when said second member is moved into engagement with the upper bite rim and while said bite rims are in the patients mouth and the jaws of the patient are in open position, and means for moving said upper and lower members relatively toward and away from each other.

3. Means for aligning upper and lower bite rims comprising a first member adapted to be engaged with the lower bite rim, a second member adapted to be engaged with the upper bite rim, means for registering said second member with said first while the latter is engaged with said lower bite rim in central position with respect thereto, said registering means comprising two members in laterally fixed confronting relation and relatively movable toward and. away from each other, said first and second members being removably seated on the lower and upper surfaces, respectively, of said two last mentioned members, said relatively movable members having registering projections, and said first and second members having registering openings in which said projections are respectively engaged for holding said first and second members in laterally fixed relation.

4. Means for aligning upper and lower bite rims comprising a first member adapted to be engaged with the lower bite rim, a second member adapted to be engaged with the upper bite rim, means for registering said second member with said first while the latter is engaged with said lower bite rim in central position with respect thereto, said registering means comprising two members in laterally fixed confronting relation and relatively movable toward and away from each other, said first and second members being removably seated on the lower and upper surfaces, respectively, of said two last mentioned members, said relatively movable members having registering projections, and said first and second members having registering openings in which said projections are respectively engaged for holding said first and second members in laterally fixed relation, said first and second members having projections for penetrating the companion bite rims, respectively.

5. Means for alignin upper and lower bite rims comprising a first member adapted to be engaged with the lower bite rim, a second member adapted to be engaged with the upper bite rim, means for registering said second member with said first while the latter is engaged with said lower bite rim in central position with respect thereto, said registering means comprising two members in laterally fixed confronting relation and relatively movable toward and away from each other, said first and second members being removably seated on the lower and upper surfaces, respectively, of said two last mentioned members, said relatively movable members having registerin projections, and said first and second members having registering openings in which said projections are respectively engaged for holding said first and second members in laterally fixed relation, said first and second members having means for removably securing the same to the companion bite rims, respectively.

6. Means for aligning upper and lower bite rims comprising a first member adapted to be engaged with the lower bite rim, a second member adapted to be engaged with the upper bite rim in confronting relation with said first member, means for registering said second member with said first while the latter is engaged with said lower bite rim in central position with respect thereto, said registering means comprising two members in laterally fixed confronting relation and relatively movable toward and away from each other, said first and second members being removably seated on the lower and upper surfaces, respectively, of said two last mentioned members, and means for moving said laterally fixed members of said registering means toward and away from each other.

7. Means for aligning upper and lower bite rims comprising a first member adapted to be engaged with the lower bite rim, a second member adapted to be engaged with the upper bite rim, means for registering said second member with said first while the latter is engaged with said lower bite rim in central position with respect thereto, said registering means comprising two members in laterally fixed confronting relation and relatively movable toward and away from each other, said first and second members being removably seated on the lower and upper surfaces, respectively, of said two last mentioned members, means for moving said laterally fixed members of said registering means toward and away from each other, comprising links pivotally connected at their outer ends to said relatively movable members, respectively, and means connected to the inner ends of said links between said relatively movable members for moving said inner ends of the links longitudinally of said relatively movable members to cause said outer ends of the links to move toward and away from each other.

8. Means for aligning upper and lower bite rims comprising a first member adapted to be engaged with the lower bite rim, a second member adapted to be engaged with the upper bite rim, means for registering said second member with said first while the latter is engaged with said lower bite rim in central position with respect thereto, said registering means comprising two members in laterally fixed confronting relation and relatively movable toward and away from each other, said first and second members being removably seated on the lower and upper surfaces, respectively, of said two last mentioned members, means for moving said laterally fixed members of said registering means toward and away from each other, comprising two sets of companion links, the links of each set being pivotally connected at their outer ends to said relatively movable members, respectively, a transverse member positioned between said relatively movable members and pivotally connected to the inner ends of the links of one set, a second transverse member positioned between said relatively movable members and pivotally connected to the inner ends of the link of said other set, and means for moving said transverse members toward and away from each other for moving the inner ends of said links of one set toward and away from the inner ends of the links of the other set thereby causing the outer ends of companion links of each set to move toward and away from each other.

9. Means for aligning upper and lower bite rims comprising a first member adapted to be engaged with the lower bite rim, a second member adapted to be engaged with the upper bite rim, means for registering said second member with said first while the latter is engaged with said lower bite rim in central position with respect thereto, said registering means comprising two members in laterally fixed confronting relation and relatively movable toward and away from each other, means for moving said last mentioned members toward and away from each other, comprising two sets of companion links, the links of each set being pivotally connected at their outer ends to said relatively movable members, respectively, a transverse member positioned between said relatively movable members and pivotally connected to the inner ends of the links of one set, a second transverse member positioned between said relatively movable members and pivotally connected to the inner ends of the links of said other set, and means for moving said transverse members toward and away from each other for moving the inner ends of said links of one set toward and away from the ends of the links of the other set thereby causing the outer ends of companion links of each set to move toward and away from each other, said last mentioned means comprising a screw-threaded rotary rod extending through one of said transverse members in screw-threaded engagement therewith whereby rotation of said rod displaces said member in engagement therewith longitudinally of the rod, said rod having a rotary bearing in said other transverse member and said other transverse member being in fixed position longitudinally of said rod.

10. Means of the character described for use in aligning upper and lower bite rims, comprising two members in laterally fixed confronting relation and relatively movable toward and away from each other, means for moving said two members relatively toward and away from each other, comprising links pivotally connected at their outer ends to said relatively movable members, respectively, means connected to the inner ends of said links between said relatively movable members for moving said inner ends of the links longitudinally of said relatively movable members to cause said outer ends of the links to move toward and away from each other, and plates seated on said two members, respectively, and provided with prongs engageable with the confronting surfaces of the bite rims, respectively, one of said plates being seated on the upper surface of one of said two members and the other plate being seated on the lower surface of said other two members.

11. A device of the character described comprising two members in laterally fixed confrontin relation and relatively movable to-ward'and away from each other, means for moving said members relatively toward and away from each other, comprising two sets of companion links, the links of each set being pivotally connected at their outer ends to said relatively movable members, respectively, a transverse member positioned between said relatively movable members and pivotally connected to the inner ends of the links of one set, a second transverse member positioned between said relatively movable members and pivotally connected to the inner ends of the links of said other set, said transverse members having threaded openings therein, and a threaded rod in screw-threaded engagement with said transverse members in said openings for moving said transverse members toward and away from each other for moving the inner ends of said links of one set toward and away from the inner ends of the links of the other set thereby causing the outer ends of companion links of each set to move toward and away from each other.

12. A device of the character described comprising two members in laterally fixed confronting relation and relatively movable toward and away from each other, means for moving said members relatively toward and away from each other, comprising two sets of companion links, the links of each set being pivotally connected at their outer ends to said relatively movable members, respectively, a transverse member positioned between said relatively movable members and pivotally connected to the inner ends of the links of one set, a second transverse member positioned between said relatively movable members and pivotally connected to the inner ends of the links of said other set, and means for moving said transverse members toward and away from each other for moving the inner ends of said links of one set toward and away from the inner ends of the links of the other set thereby causing the outer ends of companion links of each set to move toward and away from each other, said last mentioned means comprising a screw-threaded rotary rod extending through one of said transverse members in screw-threaded engagement therewith whereby rotation of said rod displaces said members in engagement therewith longitudinally of the rod, said rod having a rotary bearing in said other transverse member and said other transverse member being in fixed position longitudinally of said rod.

ABRAHAM FISCHER. 

